The 15 Minute and 2 Hour Rule

Last night I broke a rule. I taught a hard interval Spinning® class, and afterwards I filled out some paper work, took a shower, ran an errand and before long almost two hours had passed and I hadn't eaten a thing. I then went to a restaurant and ordered take out because I was too grumpy to have the patience to cook for myself and finally arrived home and ate dinner nearly three hours after my class had ended. I was a bad, bad girl.
The rule is simple. One should eat or drink some carbohydrates within 15 minutes post workout to replenish blood glucose and then within two hours eat a well balanced meal to assist with muscle repair and glycogen storage. I blew it right out the window. I don't know what was wrong with my thinking....oh that's right, I forgot to eat, so I wasn't thinking straight. The brain needs glucose too!
The outcome of my bad ways is that I felt messed up both mentally and physically. I had a pile of work to do when I got home and I felt so bad, even after eating, that I nixed all my work and stared at the "boob tube" wasting valuable time and finally shuffled off to bed. The worst part is that I know better. I preach this concept to my students and clients, yet I failed miserably at it.
Today is a new day and just like anyone on the planet, I have the opportunity to push the restart button, and to right my wrongs. Today when I pack my bag for the gym, I will throw a post workout snack into it. I can nibble on it after I teach, before I hop in the shower, and I know that will make all the difference in how the rest of my day goes. Please learn from my mistake and plan post workout nutrition, so you can make the most of every minute of your day.